The next morning, Lucius and his fellow players were taken back out onto the courtyard, where Sir Roland stood begrudgingly near a carefree Ganelon. The dandy fellow was all smiles and waved toward the players with a hearty laugh and the occasional wink. If it weren't for what Lucius saw the night before, one might've thought his actions to be genuine.

"Welcome back, heroes! I trust your rest has been well?" Ganelon said, leaving them not a chance to reply before blatantly continuing on. "Good, good. Now, I understand that some of you may be feeling a bit… disturbed after your encounters with the demons. It pains my heart to see you all so downtrodden, but never to fear! Sir Roland and I have joined hands to come up with a fitting activity to lighten your spirits."

Ganelon clapped his hands, and soon, a large procession filled with all sorts of colorful and flamboyant decorations began to pour out of the castle. It looked like a circus parade: There were floats shaped into images of beasts and stars, marching bands that played joyful tunes, and even performers dressed in costumes of gold and white and black.

Lucius had not a clue how Ganelon managed to set all of this up in the span of a single morning, but he couldn't help but be impressed by the display. Say what you would about his character—the man knew how to put on a good show.

"Francia is ever grateful for your selfless aid during these times," he continued, gesturing to the parade with a satisfied smile. "And thus we thought to ourselves… how could we possibly ever thank you for all you've done? As much as I'd like to prostrate myself and sing your praises all day long, I am but one man. My voice can only carry so much power; but what of the voices of many?"

He chuckled and threw his arms out toward the city beyond the castle gates. "That is why I've organized a grand spectacle for your enjoyment—a march through the city so that you may personally hear, and feel, the people's support! Yes, you are heroes after all. You should be worshipped. You deserve to see all those you have dutifully protected: the families, the homes, and of course the children. Don't you like children? You'll see many of them, and they all will be cheering your names."

Roland grumbled and covered his face in embarrassment. It was impressive how easily Ganelon flattered the players, and though the Head Peer looked as if he wished he could be anywhere else, he stood in place and monitored the scene with a watchful eye. Despite their differences, the two factions appeared to have come to an agreement—at least in regards to this one matter.

Roland pulled Ganelon back and stepped forth to deliver his own speech. "I apologize for the suddenness of this gathering. We originally planned to inform you of our preparations in advance, but Sir Ganelon insisted that this be a surprise."

"Right you are, my boy!" Ganelon interrupted. "Where would the fun in that be? The best gifts are those you never expect."

"... Regardless, it is true that we wish to hold celebrations for your people. It is no easy thing to fight for the sake of another land, even more so when the very people you've sworn to protect look at you with scorn. I am not unknowing of the hostility within the castle, and it shames me that such unfounded claims have been allowed to spread so readily. But know this: we of Francia are truly grateful for your presence here. Rather than empty words, we will show you in person."

Roland nodded and outstretched his arms before the players. "With this procession, we hope that the bond between us star-crossed people may deepen ever further. And you will not be alone."

A few familiar faces emerged from within the parade. Olivier the scholar, Archbishop Turpin, and even Lady Bradamante: they each rode their own personally-decorated float. It seemed that all the influential figures within the castle were joining them, except for Ruggiero of course, whether they wished to or not.

"What am I even doing…?" Bradamante mumbled to herself. "I look like a fool."

Ganelon tutted and pointed his finger at her. "Swallow your shame, my dear. This is all for the sake of morale!"

With that, the dandy fellow clapped his hands and beckoned for the players to find their own spots within the parade. It took a minute before the shock wore off, but when it did, they were actually quite enthusiastic. What kind of scoundrel wouldn't smile when met with such whimsical jolly? It reminded Lucius of the time he skydived over the Carnival of Venice while being chased by a flock of fighter jets. Fireworks weren't the only explosions that lit up that day!

"Uh, you guys have any preferences?" Mili said, eyeing a few of the attractions. "Let's see… there's a masquerade themed float over there, or we could for that big clock tower lookin' thing."

Harper shrugged. "I haven't been to a parade since I was eight. Either way, I'll stick out like a sore thumb while wearing all this gear."

Marco looked at her up and down and crossed his arms, confused. "Why do you keep yer firefightin' outfit on all the time, anyway?'

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"Eh, it's technically my armor," she replied. "Got it as a reward after completing the tutorial. There's this nifty air-conditioning feature that helps keep me cool and cozy. Ain't got any idea how it actually works, but I dunno… just feels natural I guess. I could say the same for you, old fella. Why do you go walking around looking like the capo of some Italian gang?"

Marco gasped and backed away from her in horror. "It's called style, I'll have ya know. A man's gotta look his best, right Lucius?"

"Right you are, my affable friend," Lucius said. "As for where we could join… how about over there?"

Lucius pointed toward the front, where a sluggish Sir Roland stood with a stone-cold expression. He was riding atop a massive golden eagle—clearly the highlight of the parade. It was a surprise that Sir Ganelon didn't take the spot for himself, but perhaps the man felt it better to give up the spotlight if it meant humiliating his nephew.

"Eh, sure," Mili said, hauling her guitar over her shoulder. "Poor guy looks like he could use some company."

Lucius's companions sallied forth and greeted Roland. The man turned around, bewildered, that they would willingly choose to subject themselves to this shame, but Lucius could see that he appreciated not being the only one to take lead.

"Oh? To think we would meet in these conditions," Roland said to Lucius.

"You know of me, my good sir?"

"I have heard stories. You are Lucius Rose, am I correct?"

Lucius bowed. "Indeed, a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance."

Roland gestured for the party to join him. "I personally would have sat myself toward the back of this… excessive display, but you are welcome nonetheless."

The good man said little in the way of small talk as the others made themselves comfortable. Lucius had a feeling it wasn't out of dislike, though. It appeared that he was doing his utmost to hold himself back from revealing a closely-guarded secret. The gentleman found it quite humorous; for someone deemed the Leader of the Peers, Sir Roland certainly wore his heart on his sleeve.

"Ah, it appears we are moving," he said dryly. A loud groan sounded from beneath as a group of muscular, bare-chested paladins (although interestingly enough they still wore their helms) grabbed onto a rope and pulled the float forward. Wheels at the bottom helped provide it motion, and soon, the parade began to proceed in stride.

The gates surrounding the castle opened, and there, crowding every inch of the stone-cobbled streets, were thousands upon thousands of eager Frankish citizens. They waved at the parade with black and gold studded flags, cheered and cried in celebration as the floats traveled down the avenues one by one. The noise was deafening. Lucius could barely hear himself think amidst the excited clamor.

His companions were similarly disoriented, save for Mili who smiled wide and blew kisses out into the audience. "Just smile and wave, guys," she said, basking in the attention. "You'll get used to it after a bit."

Colorful streams of light shot up from behind them and bursted in the sky, releasing a shower of sparks that illuminated the entire city. Ganelon wasn't kidding; this truly was a grand spectacle. Not a speck could be seen of the space that wasn't filled with joy, and celebration, and color. If it weren't for the man dressed in full bulwark beside Lucius, one would've forgotten that this was a staunchly religious nation. The quaint buildings and alleys here looked no different than that of an old-world european village, except with many more flowers and jewels dotting the sides.

Despite all the festivity, however, Lucius felt that something was a bit… odd. True, the Frankish citizens seemed to acknowledge the players' presence, but their true fancy laid with the Peers. They were the star of the show, not the otherworlders as Ganelon proclaimed.

"How mischievous, Sir Roland," Lucius said to him. The Peer was busy posing for the endless merrygoers around them, but he tilted his head to acknowledge the gentleman's words. "This parade was never meant for us, was it?"

Roland flinched, and hesitated for a moment. "An observant fellow, you are. I suppose I should have expected much from the chosen one."

He looked around to make sure the others were preoccupied before leaning in and whispering into Lucius's ear. "It is… not entirely false. The populace was told of your joining here, but truth be told this event had already been planned for the odd week. The other Peers and some officials of higher import were supposed to be the only ones in attendance, but Ganelon suddenly barged into my room this morning demanding that you otherworlders be allowed to join us. For once, I agreed with him. We've kept you confined to the castle long enough; it was about time you mingled among the commonfolk, and so I permitted his request."

"But why host a parade in the first place?"

"To provide comfort."

Roland kept his gaze focused on the people waving them by. His face softened, and eyes shone with a pure, tender love. "Ogier had protected the western border for ten long years. He was the people's guardian, the reason why they could sleep soundly despite the demonic threat. But now… he is gone. It is only natural that fear would soon propagate. No one truly knows what the morrow holds, and so it is our duty both as the empire's leaders and as devotees of the Lord to alleviate their worries. This parade is but a show to demonstrate that the forces of Francia still remain strong."

Now Lucius understood why Roland willingly took to the forefront. He was the very symbol of the people: the most powerful of them all. And it was also he who had the responsibility of maintaining the nation's peace.

The man reminded Lucius of Ogier, in a way. Both shouldered far too great a burden; and yet they persisted nonetheless. One did it out of hollow duty, and the other… well, he had an idea, but Lucius needed to spend a bit more time with Roland before he could be certain.

His turn would come, eventually.

Until then, Lucius grinned and bowed before the crowd. Even if this whole song and dance wasn't for them, what was the harm in having a bit of fun?

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